This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Before booking a vacation, it pays to check the weather. Rain can turn a joyful trip into a glum stretch of days.
Soaring temperatures are making sunny summers less appealing. And destructive fires, floods and other natural disasters often lead to tourist evacuations. Australians are avid travelers.
In 2025 alone, we made about 113 million overnight trips domestically and more than 12 million trips abroad. We also live in one of the world's most heatwave-prone nations, meaning Australians are exposed to unpredictable weather at home. But just how much does weather influence the behavior of Australian tourists?
That's the question at the core of our new study, which we believe is the first to reveal how Australians' travel choices are being shaped by our rapidly changing climate. For our new study, we conducted a national online survey to unpack how weather influences when, where and how Australians travel. We found one-fifth of the 2,292 people we surveyed had changed their most recent vacation because of weather.
This included 8% who had been affected by fires, floods or storms and 6% who had been affected by heavy rain. Extreme heat poses an urgent threat to human health. It kills thousands of people each year, and research suggests this figure is rising due to the effects of human-induced climate change.
In Australia alone, the number of deaths from heatwaves is expected to double in the next 40 years. Existing evidence suggests rain dampens tourist enthusiasm more than heat. However, our study revealed 6% of Australians altered their vacation plans based on impending hot weather.
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